Actions, to which they were in no wife neceffitated, but did them freely. And not only this, but in every other Inftance, the Perfection and vaft Extent of the divine Knowledge is excellently reprefented and described in the sacred Writings. It is declared that his Understanding is infinite. Pfal. cxlvii. 5. that there is no fearching of his Understanding. Ifa. xl. 28. that known unto him are all his Works from the Beginning of the World. Acts xv. 18. that there is not any Creature that is not manifeft in his Sight, but all Things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do. Heb. iv. 13. Partitularly it is there frequently obferved that he knoweth all the Actions of Men, their Words, and even their Hearts and most fecret Thoughts, which is a Confideration of the higheft Moment in Religion, and than which nothing can have a greater Influence to engage us to exercife a constant Careover our inward Frame and our outward Practice. Remarkable to this Purpose is that noble Paffage of the Pfalmift, Pfal. exxxix. 1—4: O Lord, thou haft fearched me, and known me. Thou knoweft my Downfitting and mine Up-rifing, thou understandeft my Thoughts afar off. Thou compaffeft my Path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my Ways. For there is not a Word

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Word in my Tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knoweft it altogether.

Fifthly, In a near Connection with his infinite Knowledge, is his Wisdom; and this alfo may be clearly feen and understood by the Things that are made. Wifdom, in the general Notion of it, properly confifteth in propofing the most excellent Ends, and pursuing them by the fittest Means. It comprehendeth large and extenfive Views, a clear Difcernment of the mutual Relations of Things, of Order, Beauty, and Harmony, and is that whereby every Thing is contrived and done in the best and propereft Manner. Among Men there may be, and often is, Knowledge without Wisdom; but Knowledge, confidered in the most perfect Degree, as it is in God, is really infeparable from Wisdom. As he must needs know in every Inftance what is beft and fitteft, and can have no Appetite or Interest to divert him from it, fo among all the poffible Schemes of Things, he always chufeth and executeth that which is, all Things confidered, the best and most worthy of himself, and becoming his own glorious Perfections, and moft for the univerfal Good. His Wifdom is not acquired by Obfervation and Experience like ours, nor is it capable of gradual Improvement, but

is effential to him, and abfolutely perfect. It taketh in the whole Compass of Things, and extendeth to all Times and Ages, and therefore formeth its Designs upon the most comprehenfive and unerring Views, and can never take wrong Measures. And the Evidences of this Wisdom are very conspicuous in his wonderful Works. Even the leaft, the most inconfiderable of them, the Formation of the smallest Infect, difcover Skill and Contrivance far furpaffing that of any Man, or of all the Men upon Earth. But if we had a distinct View of this capacious System, the Laws by which it is governed, the apt Difpofition of its Parts, and their mutual Relations and Subferviencies, the Uniformity and Regularity of Defign, which is carried on amidst the greatest Variety, from whence refulteth a wonderful Beauty and Harmony in the Constitution of Things; how should we be filled with Admiration of the manifold' Wisdom of God! Many, for knowing a little of these Things (for it is but a small Part of them that we can now pretend to know after all our Enquiries) have been honoured with the glorious Name of Philofophers or Lovers of Wisdom, and been admired as Perfons of an extenfive Genius. And how unconceivable then must that Wisdom be which contrived and formed the whole

Frame of Nature, and hath disposed all Things in fuch excellent Order in Number, Weight, and Measure; furely the Author of all these Things must be as wife as he is powerful, wonderful in Counfel, and excellent in Working. Ifa. xxviii. 29. What Reason have we to cry out with the Pfalmist, O Lord, how manifold are thy Works! In Wisdom haft thou made them all, Pfal. civ. 24. But the nobleft Exercise and Display of his Wifdom is in the Formation of intellectual Beings, moral Agents, and in his governing them according to their Natures, without infringing their effential Freedom, ftill carrying on and accomplishing his own excellent Designs, bringing Good out of Evil, and Order out of Confufion, and ordering and over-ruling Things for the best upon the whole. And if in the Works of Creation, and in the Difpenfations of Divine Providence, there are feveral Things, the Reafons and Ends of which we cannot at prefent account for, it is but just to attribute this to the Darknefs and Narrowness of our Minds, which are not able to take in the entire Connection and Harmony of Things; whereas, he who feeth the whole at once, muft, in every poffible Circumftance, know what is propereft and beft.

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So tranfcendently great is the Wisdom of God, that when compared with it, that of the most excellent of created Beings may be accounted Folly. Hence it is said that he chargeth his Angels with Folly, Job iv. 18. And he is reprefented in Scripture under the Character of the only wife God, as if none could be properly accounted wise and knowing but God only, and Glory is ascribed to him on that Account. To God only wife, be Glory through Jefus Chrift for ever. Rom. xvi. 27. And again, Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invifible, the only wife God, be Honour and Glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Tim. i. 17. This his Wisdom layeth a folid Foundation for Truft and Confidence in him, and for committing ourselves and all our Ways to his Direction and Difpofal. The Wisdom of God, taken in the most extenfive View, comprehendeth all his moral Perfections under it, and directeth them in their Exercife. And these his moral Attributes are what I propose to confider in my next Difcourse.